Britain's number of daily coronavirus tests has fallen to 76,496 - just two days after hitting the government's target of 100,000 a day.
The number of tests dipped below 100,000 on Saturday for the first time since the target was met on Thursday, amid a row about how the numbers were counted.
Some 122,347 tests were provided in the 24 hours to 9am on May 1 - the deadline for Matt Hancock's target.
Of those, 82,000 or so were carried out, with the remaining 40,000 being counted when they were posted out to people's homes or satellite units.
The total number of tests, including ones posted out, stayed high at 105,937 in 24 hours from 9am Friday.
But in the 24 hours from 9am Saturday, the number fell to 76,496, official figures confirmed tonight.
Stephen Powis, National Medical Director of NHS England, admitted there had been a "little bit of a dip in the weekend”.
Cabinet minister Michael Gove told the daily No10 press conference: "You might expect over a weekend, with fewer people going to work, that you might have a dip in the amount testing that might occur at that time.
"I don’t think it in any way detracts from the amazing achievement of the NHS and others in so significantly increasing the amount of tests that are available."
Figures provided by the government show there was not previously a major drop in testing numbers over the weekend.
Yet Prof Powis told the daily No10 press conference: "We anticipate that testing capacity will continue to increase and it’s a very important component of our approach going forward."
Michael Gove said testing will allow the government to run a "test, track and trace" programme to limit the spread of the disease when lockdown restrictions are eased.
But Transport Secretary Grant Shapps today admitted fewer Brits would have died from coronavirus if more tests had been available sooner.
He said "many things" could have been different if the 100,000-a-day testing capacity had been reached more quickly.
Care home staff, and people being discharged into care homes from hospital, only started being tested routinely on April 15.
By then there thousands of care home residents had already died.
Mr Gove admitted: "This government, like all governments, will have made mistakes."
He added: "There will be a time, when we’ve got this virus under control, when we can ask ourselves some deep and probing questions about lessons we can learn as a country from how we handled this virus in its early stages."
Today's figures came as it was confirmed 28,446 people have died with coronavirus in the UK.
That was a rise of 315 on the day before, the smallest daily rise for weeks.
Stephen Powis, National Medical Director of NHS England, told the daily No10 press conference: “It does appear that we are past the peak of deaths too - we are beginning to see a decline in the number of deaths.”
Mr Gove said 1.2million tests have now been carried out in total, including more than 200,000 on key workers or their families.
There are 14,248 people currently being treated for coronavirus in hospital, down from 14,695 yesterday.
Mr Gove said between February 25 and May 2, 1.08billion items of personal protective equipment (PPE) were delivered across the health and social care system in England.
But his figures included just 2million gowns, of which workers have complained there is a shortage.
By comparison they include 614million gloves - some of which the government has admitted it counts one at a time. So two gloves would, in some cases, be only one pair.
PM Boris Johson is expected to spell out a "roadmap" for easing the lockdown over the next week.
But Mr Gove warned some restrictions will be in place until the rollout of a vaccine - which scientists only expect next year.
He told the daily press conference: "Ultimately, unless and until we have a vaccine, then I suspect we’re going to have to live with some degree of constraint because of the nature of the virus.
"But we obviously want to, wherever possible, and consistent with our measures on public health, restore people’s lives to as close to normal as possible."
Meanwhile Prof Powis warned the NHS Nightingale hospitals - built in several exhibition halls across the country, but barely used - will remain open for months.
He warned the field hospitals may still be needed if there is a second surge in the virus.
Prof Powis said: “The Nightingales were not built in error - and we may still need them.
"We are not through this yet. And although government policy and the scientific advice is to try and ensure the virus does not start to spread widely again, we can never absolutely be certain.
"And therefore for the months ahead, we need to maintain that extra capacity until we have more certainty."
